2000 NISSAN ALTIMA ignition

PRECAUTIONS ON SUPPLE-
MENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM
This Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
section contains important information con-
cerning the driver and passenger supple-
mental front air bags, supplemental side air
bags and pre-tensioner seat belts.
Supplemental front air bag system:This
system can help cushion the impact force to
the face and chest of the driver and front
passenger in certain frontal collisions.
Supplemental side air bag system (if so
equipped):This system can help cushion
the impact force to the head and the chest
area of the driver and front passenger in
certain side impact collisions The supple-
mental side air bag is designed to inflate on
the side where the vehicle is impacted.
These supplemental restraint systems are
designed tosupplementthe crash protec-
tion provided by the driver and front passen-
ger seat belts and arenot a substitutefor
them. Seat belts should always be correctly
worn and the driver and front passenger
seated a suitable distance away from the
steering wheel, instrument panel and front
door finishers. (See ``Seat belts'' later in thissection for instructions and precautions on
seat belt usage.)
The supplemental air bags operate only
when the ignition switch is in the ON or
START position.
After turning the ignition key to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates. The supplemental
air bag warning light will turn off after
about 7 seconds if the system is opera-
tional.
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT
SYSTEM
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-9
ZX

a fire, but care should be taken to not
intentionally inhale it, as it may cause irrita-
tion and choking. Those with a history of a
breathing condition should get fresh air
promptly.
The supplemental front air bags, along with
the use of seat belts, help to cushion the
impact force on the face and chest of the
occupant. They can help save lives and
reduce serious injuries. However, an inflat-
ing supplemental front air bag may cause
facial abrasions or other injuries. Supple-
mental front air bags do not provide restraint
to the lower body.
Seat belts should be correctly worn and the
driver and passenger seated upright as far
as practical away from the steering wheel or
instrument panel. Since the supplemental
front air bags inflate quickly in order to help
protect the front occupants, the force of the
supplemental front air bag inflating can in-
crease the risk of injury if the occupant is too
close to or is against the supplemental front
air bag module during inflation.
The supplemental front air bags deflate
quickly after a collision.The supplemental front air bags operate
only when the ignition switch is in the
ON or START position.
After turning the ignition key to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates. The supplemental
air bag warning light will turn off after
about 7 seconds if the system is opera-
tional.
WARNING
c
Do not place any objects on the steer-
ing wheel pad or on the instrument
panel. Also, do not place any objects
between any occupant and the steer-
ing wheel or instrument panel. Such
objects may become dangerous pro-
jectiles and cause injury if the supple-
mental front air bag inflates.
cRight after inflation, several supple-
mental front air bag system compo-
nents will be hot. Do not touch them;
you may severely burn yourself.c
No unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring of
the supplemental front air bag sys-
tem. This is to prevent accidental in-
flation of the supplemental front air
bags or damage to the supplemental
front air bag system.
cDo not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle's electrical system,
suspension system or front end
structure. This could affect proper
operation of the supplemental front
air bag system.
c
Tampering with the supplemental front
air bag system may result in serious
personal injury. Tampering includes
changes to the steering wheel and the
instrument panel assembly by placing
material over the steering wheel pad
and above the dashboard, or by install-
ing additional trim material around the
supplemental front air bag system.
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-15
ZX

The supplemental air bags operate only
when the ignition switch is in the ON or
START position.
After turning the ignition key to the ON
position, the supplemental air bag warn-
ing light illuminates. The supplemental
air bag warning light will turn off after
about 7 seconds if the system is opera-
tional.
WARNING
cDo not place any objects near the
seatback of the front seats. Also, do
not place any objects (an umbrella,
bag, etc.) between the front door
finisher and the front seat. Such ob-
jects may become dangerous pro-
jectiles and cause injury if the
supplemental side air bag inflates.
cRight after inflation, several supple-
mental side air bag system compo-
nents will be hot. Do not touch them;
you may severely burn yourself.
cNo unauthorized changes should be
made to any components or wiring
of the supplemental side air bag sys-
tem. This is to prevent accidentalinflation of the side air bag or dam-
age to the side air bag system.
cDo not make unauthorized changes
to your vehicle's electrical system,
suspension system or side panel.
This could affect proper operation of
the side air bag system.
cTampering with the supplemental
side air bag system may result in
serious personal injury. Tampering
includes changes to the front seats
assembly by placing material near
the seatback of the front seat, or by
installing additional trim material,
such as seat covers, around the side
air bag system.
cWork around and on the supplemen-
tal side air bag system should be
done by an authorized NISSAN
dealer. Installation of electrical
equipment should also be done by
an authorized NISSAN dealer. The
SRS wiring harnesses* should not
be modified or disconnected. Unau-
thorized electrical test equipment
and probing devices should not be
used on the side air bag system.* The SRS wiring harnesses are cov-
ered with yellow insulation either just
before the harness connectors or over
the complete harness for easy identi-
fication.
When selling your vehicle, we request that
you inform the buyer about the supplemen-
tal side air bag system and guide the buyer
to the appropriate sections in this Owner's
Manual.
Pre-tensioner seat belt system (For
front seats)
WARNING
cThe pre-tensioner seat belt cannot
be reused after activation. It must be
replaced together with the retractor
as a unit.
cIf the vehicle becomes involved in a
frontal collision but the pre-
tensioner is not activated, be sure to
have the pre-tensioner system
checked and, if necessary, replaced
by your NISSAN dealer.
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
1-17
ZX

SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LABELS
Warning labels about the supplemental air
bag systems are placed in the vehicle as
shown in the illustration.
SUPPLEMENTAL AIR BAG
WARNING LIGHT
The supplemental air bag warning light,
displaying
in the instrument panel,
monitors the circuits of the supplemental
front air bag system and supplemental side
air bag (if so equipped) systems. The cir-
cuits monitored by the air bag warning light
are the diagnosis sensor unit, satellite sen-
sors, front air bag modules, side air bag
modules and all related wiring.
When the ignition key is in the ON or START
position, the supplemental air bag warning
WRS0004LRS0021
Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems1-19
ZX

light illuminates for about 7 seconds and
then turns off. This means the system is
operational.
If any of the following conditions occur, the
supplemental front air bag and supplemen-
tal side air bag needs servicing:
cThe supplemental air bag warning light
remains on after approximately 7 sec-
onds.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light
flashes intermittently.
cThe supplemental air bag warning light
does not come on at all.
Under these conditions, the supplemental
front air bag or supplemental side air bags
may not operate properly. It must be
checked and repaired. Take your vehicle to
the nearest authorized NISSAN dealer.
WARNING
If the supplemental air bag warning
light is on, it could mean that the
supplemental front air bag or supple-
mental side air bag system will not
operate in an accident.
Repair and replacement procedure
The supplemental front air bag modules or
supplemental side air bags are designed to
inflate on a one-time-only basis. As a re-
minder, unless it is damaged, the supple-
mental air bag light remains illuminated
after inflation has occurred. Repair and re-
placement of these supplemental air bag
systems should be done only by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
To ensure long-term functioning, these
supplemental air bag systems must be
inspected 10 years after the date of
manufacture as noted on the certifica-
tion label located on the driver side front
pillar.
When maintenance work is required on the
vehicle, the supplemental front air bags,
supplemental side air bags and related
parts should be pointed out to the person
conducting the maintenance. The ignition
key should always be in the LOCK position
when working under the hood or inside the
vehicle.
WARNING
cOnce the supplemental front air bag
or supplemental side air bag has
inflated, the air bag module will not
function again and must be re-
placed. The air bag module should
be replaced by an authorized
NISSAN dealer. The air bag module
cannot be repaired.
cThe supplemental front air bag and
supplemental side air bag systems
should be inspected by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer if there is any
damage to the front end or side por-
tion of the vehicle.
cIf you need to dispose of a supple-
mental air bag or scrap the vehicle,
contact an authorized NISSAN
dealer. Correct supplemental air bag
disposal procedures are set forth in
the appropriate NISSAN Service
Manual. Incorrect disposal proce-
dures could cause personal injury.
1-20Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

cBe sure the seat belt tongue is se-
curely fastened to the proper buckle.
cDo not wear the belt inside out or
twisted. Doing so may reduce its
effectiveness.
cDo not allow more than one person
to use the same belt.
cNever carry more people in the ve-
hicle than there are seat belts.cIf the seat belt warning light glows
continuously while the ignition is
turned ON with all doors closed and
all seat belts fastened, it may indi-
cate a malfunction in the system.
Have the system checked by an au-
thorized NISSAN dealer.
cOnce the pre-tensioner seat belt has
activated, it cannot be reused and
must be replaced together with the
retractor. See you NISSAN dealer.cRemoval and installation of the pre-
tensioner seat belt system compo-
nents should be done by an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
cAll seat belt assemblies including
retractors and attaching hardware
should be inspected after any colli-
sion by an authorized NISSAN
dealer. NISSAN recommends that all
seat belt assemblies in use during a
collision be replaced unless the col-
lision was minor and the belts show
no damage and continue to operate
properly. Seat belt assemblies not in
use during a collision should also be
inspected and replaced if either
damage or improper operation is
noted.
ARS1047ARS1050
1-22Seats, restraints and supplemental air bag systems
ZX

FUEL GAUGE
The gauge indicates theapproximatefuel
level in the tank.
The gauge may move slightly during brak-
ing, turning, acceleration, or going up or
down hills.
The gauge needle remains in approximately
the same position even when the ignition
key is turned to OFF.
The warning indicator light comes on when
the amount of fuel in the tank is getting low.
Refill the fuel tank before the gauge
registers E (Empty).
CAUTION
cIf the vehicle runs out of fuel, the
malfunction indicator lamp
(MIL) may come on. Refuel as soon
as possible. After a few driving trips,
the
lamp should turn off. If the
lamp remains on after a few driving
trips, have the vehicle inspected by
an authorized NISSAN dealer.
cFor additional information, see the
``Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)''
later in this section.
SIC0879
Instruments and controls2-5
ZX

CHECKING BULBS
With all doors closed, apply the parking
brake and turn the ignition key to the ON
position without starting the engine. The
following lights come on:
,or,,,
The following lights come on briefly and
then go off:
or,,
If any light fails to come on, it may
indicate a burned-out bulb or an opencircuit in the electrical system. Have the
system repaired promptly.
WARNING LIGHTS
Engine oil pressure warning
light
This light warns of low engine oil pressure. If
the light flickers or comes on during normal
driving, pull off the road in a safe area, stop
the engineimmediatelyand call an autho-
rized NISSAN dealer.
The oil pressure warning light is notdesigned to indicate a low oil level. Use
the dipstick to check the oil level.See
``Engine oil'' in the ``Do-it-yourself'' section.
CAUTION
Running the engine with the oil pressure
warning light on could cause serious
damage to the engine almost immedi-
ately. Turn off the engine as soon as it is
safe to do so.
orBrake warning lightSeat belt warning lightEngine oil pressure warning light
Turn signal/hazard indicator lightsLow washer fluid warning light
(Canada only)CRUISE main switch indicator light
(if so equipped)
High beam indicator lightorAnti-lock brake warning lightCruise SET indicator light
(if so equipped)
Charge warning lightOverdrive off indicator light
(automatic transmission only)Supplemental air bag warning light
Door open warning lightMalfunction indicator lamp
(emission system)Low fuel warning light
WARNING/INDICATOR
LIGHTS AND CHIMES
2-6Instruments and controls
ZX